Madras High Court Refuses to Ban Film “Karuppu” Over Portrayal of Corrupt Judge

The Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a ban on the Tamil film “Karuppu”, holding that criticism or fictional portrayal of corruption within the judiciary cannot by itself justify censorship once the film has been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

A division bench of Justice G.R. Swaminathan and Justice V. Lakshminarayanan passed the order while hearing a petition filed by advocate R.S. Tamilvendan, who argued that the movie harmed the dignity of courts by portraying a corrupt judge and an unethical lawyer influencing judicial proceedings.

Rejecting the plea, the court observed that freedom of speech and artistic expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution protects even uncomfortable or critical depictions of public institutions. The bench stated that judges are not beyond criticism and remarked that “judges need not be treated as holy cows.”

The court noted that corruption within institutions, including the judiciary, cannot be denied entirely and referred to past Supreme Court observations acknowledging the issue. However, the judges clarified that such remarks should not be seen as a general attack on the judicial system.

The bench further held that the film was fictional in nature and based around an imaginary court called “Seven Wells Court.” Since the CBFC had already granted certification to the movie, the High Court said it would not substitute its own opinion unless the content clearly violated statutory restrictions under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.